Parenting Styles
Research in the area of parenting has identifies 4 major parenting styles that vary along two major dimensions: control and interpersonal warmth. For most children, the authoritative style provides the best results and the uninvolved the poorest outcomes.
The four styles are as follows:
1. Authoritative/Democratic
- High control and high warmth
- Rules and expectations for the child are clearly expressed and monitored
- Parents present directions in a polite and respectful way and give choices when appropriate
- Parents use rewards and praise more than punishments
- Parents are very warm and accepting of their child but firm in their expectations as well
- Roles are clearly defined
2. Authoritarian
- High control and low warmth
- Rules and expectations are clearly verbalized and monitored
- Little explanation given for rules
- Tend to use more punishable punishments to get children to obey
- Rules are extremely strict and when rules are broken, the punishments are often extreme
- Parents may care for the child but tend to be cold and distant
- Parent and child roles are clearly and strictly defined
3. Permissive
- Low control and high warmth
- Parents don’t establish many rules or expectations for the children
- Parents allow the children to make their own mistakes to learn from them
- Parents are very loving and accepting of their children
4. Uninvolved
- Low control and low warmth
- Parents don’t establish many rules or expectations for the children
- Parents don’t spend quality time with their children and often leave children to care for themselves
- When parents interact with their children, they tend to be negative and critical rather than loving and accepting